Tag Archives: Adventures

A few weeks ago I had been complaining to my husband that I was really starting to feel my lack of space and time for myself at home (and in general). Everything from the lack of space to the almost constant noise of traffic was starting to grate on me and I was having a bit of a meltdown (just a little one, but still). My husband being the amazing genius that he is, who knows what I need better than I know myself had the brilliant idea that I should go for a float.

I had been wanting to do it forever, he said and of course he was right. Plus how much more peace, quiet and privacy can you get than being in a sensory deprivation chamber.

I found one close to my work in the city (there are float spas popping up all over the place these days) and booked one for as soon as I was got back from a trip to visit family (it’s a great way to decompress after traveling). Now, the place I booked, Modern Gravity, is still setting up it’s commercial center, so I visited their demo tank which is in a renovated basement suite, but they’ll have what is sure to be an amazing set up by Kingsway Mall ready in January. Here are some pictures of the float suites they have on order:

Photo from Ocean Float Rooms Ltd

Doesn’t that seem epic? The demo tank was a smaller version, a Samadhi tank like this:

Samadhi Tank, Image from Wikipedia

Not quite as glamorous, but it still did the trick.

These float tanks, also known as sensory deprivation chambers, isolation tank, float chambers, REST chambers, etc, all have tons of epsom salts dissolved into the water (mine had 850 pounds), which makes it super buoyant, so you float right at the top of the water, with your ears underneath, but your face and the top of your body out of the water, as in the picture above.

They are dark, although there is a light in there you turn off when you are ready to help you get settled in. It’s also very quiet, especially with the ear plugs I used to keep water out of my ears. The temperature is supposed to be about the same as your skin so you feel the boundary between skin and water dissapear. I started to get cold, so I turned on the environmental comfort control, which warmed things up quickly.

Before I climbed in, I had showered and then put vaseline over any little cuts or nicks on my body to keep them from stinging in the salt. (There was a thorough orientation on what to expect before starting). Once I climbed in, naked as the day I was born, I lay down and immediately realized I had some skin irritation on the back of my legs I hadn’t known about. I tried to ignore it, since I didn’t want to get out, but it itched and burned to the point that I opened the hatch, sprayed my legs down with water, dried them and added more vaseline.

Climbing back in, all lubed up, I lay back and tried to center myself in the tank. If you don’t, you wind up drifting gently into the sides. Then you have to center yourself again, rather than just push away or you’ll just ping pong around in there.

It takes some getting used to, and the first third of the 90 minute session seemed like it was just getting it all figured out. My body kept relaxing to deeper and deeper states and my mind wandered.
I did some mantra work and sent out love and gratitude to every one in my life which relaxed me further. It was very pleasant, until I had to pee.

Grr. I popped my head out and saw that I still had 45 minutes left in the session, so I decided to towel off to head to the bathroom. Getting situated in the center of the tank was easier this time and I felt like I relaxed again far more quickly.

After awhile, I did lose all track of my body and it felt like I was floating in space. I was perfectly at peace, perfectly relaxed. This was the Theta brain wave state that I was going for (The pre-sleep/hypnosis/meditation state that feels so good). The only annoying part was having to breathe.

If I could have just stopped breathing and absorbed oxygen directly through my skin that would have been lovely, because it was just my breath that kept me from feeling like I was a disembodied entity. I let the pauses in between inhalations and exhalations extend as long as I could and it was in those brief breathless periods that I felt most relaxed.

It was incredible, but just as I was sinking even deeper, the music came on to let me know my time was up.

I had been prepared by a few people I spoke to that this would be the case. The first float is mostly spent figuring out the logistics and getting used to being in the tank, and you only get a taste of the real experience of floating.

That little taste got me hooked though. I felt amazing afterwards. Refreshed and renewed, like I had just had a great nap. After showering off my skin felt so soft and amazing and my body felt like I had just gotten a massage. All the minerals in the salts are so good for you. We’re usually deficient in most essential minerals like magnesium and this infuses it directly into your skin.

I was already planning my return visit before I left (I bought their awesome 3 float pack, where you basically get a free float). I can’t wait to dive in more deeply to see where my mind will take me! I still feel more relaxed and peaceful recalling the experience a week later. I highly recommend trying it out yourself, at Modern Gravity if you’re in Edmonton, or find a center near you!

I’m sitting on my bed at the Sugar Loaf Lodge in Sedona, battling my twin urges to go out and explore, or to go to sleep right now (it’s only 7pm here). I’m splitting the difference by staying in, and staying up for another hour or two.
Then I’ll be up with the sun so I can perhaps head out for an early morning hike before my life between lives hypnotherapy session tomorow.

I’m sure you’ve heard of past-life regression. Well, this is the same thing, but also explores the realm in between lives where our spirits plan for our next incarnation (as well as do some other spirit realm type things.)

I can’t friggin wait. I am so excited I don’t even know how to process it.

The technique is from Dr. Michael Newton, of The Newton Institute.
He was a very skeptical hypnotherapist who accidently found himself regressing his past life patients into that between lives state, which he calls the spirit world or spirit realm.

He has written several fascinating books about his cases; Journey of Souls, Destiny of Souls and Memories of the Afterlife. All of them are full of fascinating information that sparked a deep remembrance within me.

Most people who go for a session are looking for their life purpose, or perhaps they have an issue in their lives they are really struggling with. I’m just going out of sheer curiosity and a deep desire to bring a deeper connection to spirit into my everyday life.

Through meditation, I’ve had a few spontaneous, direct experiences with this realm and each time I have felt an intense healing of my being and infusion of knowledge and understanding. The beauty of our immortal soul in it’s light body is so spectacularly breathtaking that it’s beyond words, and even beyond my full comprehension.

Needless to say, I’m sure much of it will be beyond words but I’ll try to share as much of the experience as I can with you all.

Here in a shiny example of it’s epic nature is our cabin’s awkward family photo:

photo by Carla Snow

We were given two sets of instructions for this:

One was ‘Stare off into the distance, with dreamy, pondering eyes’. Then someone else said ‘Now pretend you see a Pterodactyl!’ Only a few of us listened to that last instruction, and I think that makes it better!

I wish I had more time to get to know these wonderful, talented ladies, but they were great cabin mates. For some reason they put all the folks from Canada, Wisconsin and Massachusetts together. Perhaps they thought we’d bond over snow and prairies… Turns out we bonded over hula hoops and acro bunk bed yoga. My travel companion Carla Snow from http://www.flowlab.ca

Speaking of Carla, I couldn’t have asked for a better travel companion. We always have so much fun together, and she’s been my biggest support on my hoop journey. She gave an incredible Hoop Talk on Thursday night (recovering from Laryngitis in the nick of time!) She spoke passionately about feeding the community through intentional business practices and my heart swelled with pride as she had the whole audience nodding and agreeing with her the whole time.

We had the chance to take in loads of workshops from some of the world’s greatest hoopers. My favorite hoop classes were taught by Beth Lavinder, Nick Guzzardo and Kenna Hoops, but they were all amazing. I think the most memorable class for me was a dance/movement class with Khan that involved dancing for 10 minutes for your partner, who was a silent witness, with no music. Then taking 5 minutes each to talk about the experience. It was a really powerful hour for everyone in the room, and it brought up a lot of interesting feelings to work through. I needed a good cry afterwards, and another class participant said she wouldn’t need therapy for a year! Healing, transformative movement!

It was really incredible how open and accessible the teachers were, and so many of them were right there in the thick of things, taking workshops with us. Carla captured a moment where Emma, Brecken and I were being a little disruptive during Spiral’s class, after I realized you could do some rebounding crotch thrusting inside a mini hoop (which was definitely off topic). It was ok though, cause we turned it into a combo working in the class material. Here is our crotch rebound into a corkscrew!

Photo by Carla Snow

As much fun as the classes were, the jams and showcases were the real highlights for me. There was a real showcase (flowcase) where our incredibly, jaw dropping-ly talented instructors performed ridiculous routines. Here’s Nick Guzzardo’s piece, which was second only to his topless fire hooping the night before:

Hoop Convergence also had a renegade showcase the next night, which is a tradition from juggling conventions. This was probably my favorite activity all weekend, and not just because SaFire, Carla and I taught a renegade Finger Flow workshop wearing onsies. Most of the acts were dirty and hilarious and the few that weren’t were downright beautiful, like Caroleena’s piece with her gorgeous cockateil Mulder. There was everything from uni-cycling while hooping, butt jumping with skipping rope, hooping, dooping, vooping (don’t ask) and a ukelele sing along.

About Dancing Into Being

Our mission is to unite mind, body and soul in fun and joyful ways that promote health, happiness and healing. Our workshops, retreats and one on one sessions include dance, prop manipulation, movement meditation, energy healing and coaching. Allow us to connect you to your most radiant self, helping you to shine as brightly as you can, so you can inspire others to do the same!

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